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I did not say well what I intended to say in my post yesterday. My post was not a criticism about Bryan Crowe. It was a criticism of the leadership (if you can call it that) of our part-time City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez. One reader commented and said what I was trying to say a thousand times better. Here is that anonymous post:

"Bryan is the most competent of the bunch of people he promoted. But a leader? No. To oversee our parks system? No. Background in libraries? Fine arts? No. A way for the City manager to consolidate power by removing organizational threats (what others would term a quality bench) since Bryan is a contractor? Absolutely.

"The game was simple. Fire, harass, threaten and chase away any and all threats to Gonzalez making himself the center of every project--even if it means the loss of institutional memory, good leaders, skilled administrators. Once accomplished, ask for multiple raises because it looks like you're indispensable (2 contract amendments already). Irving weak playbook 101. Also narcissism and megalomania 101.

"Just look at the fact that another one of his key leaders used to write press releases for sun metro. Now sun metro reports to that person. Absolutely absurd. A part time chief performance officer sounds good, yet despite living elsewhere and constantly traveling to hone her skills as a motivational speaker, there have been no performance gains. Just all open positions cut and none filled.

"The sad part of the game is that the inner circle he promoted assumed his personality and leadership style--secretive, elitist, abusive, unsupportive, vain. The one skill they did bring was their collective void of knowledge about the broader organization. Now as a group they walk around blaming the El Paso Times for making this all up.

"A little modesty might teach them they were ill equipped for the job they were given and the management style they chose was an abject failure. Not a single one is fit to serve where they are when a new city manager is hired, God willing."

I've been asking around to learn what City staff thinks about the Quality of Life Managing Director, Bryan Crowe. Our part-time City Manager appointed this employee of a private company that has a contract with the city to provide convention and visitors' services. Besides Destination El Paso, Bryan oversees Museums and Cultural Affairs, Libraries, Parks and Recreation, and the Zoo.

I've gotten some not-so-positive responses:

"He's just someone who reports to the City Manager."

"Ever since we got the new City Manager, I have noticed upper management playing more of their cards closer to their chest."

"I've never met him." [This from someone who is not exactly low person on the totem pole.]

5.) Promote Transparent and Consistent Communication Amongst All Members of the Community5.1 Set a climate of respect, collaboration and team spirit among Council, city staff and the community5.4 Enhance internal communication and employee engagement

How can you have "team spirit" with a "coach" you've never met? There is no "internal communication and employee engagement." Transparency? That's just a buzz word.

The strategic goals are subterfuge. The real intent is for one and only one decision-maker - our part-time City Despot.

I'm trying to think of an apt simile. Let's say I'm a banker and I go to myself for a loan. Not only do I get what I want, I get it as a gift. The Board of Directors of the El Paso Central Appraisal District functions like that. The Board is composed of members from all the different taxing districts: schools, county, city, and community college. The member is usually an elected official from the taxing entity. For example, Commissioner Vince Perez represents the County. The board member can also be appointed by the elected officials of a district. Gary Gandara, brother of incarcerated drug trafficker and former stash house owner, Willie, represents the Socorro ISD. Standing in for the City of El Paso is the former City Manager, Joyce $22 Million Wilson. I think that you all know why I call her "$22 Million" and it ain't her smile.

What disturbs me about the CAD Board is that everyone on it belongs (or belonged) to an entity whose budgets are paid for by your property taxes. They're the bankers who give themselves (their districts - or, in Joyce's case, her salaries for all her years in government) your deposits. They are also the ones who decide what your deposit must be to cover what they want. In the case of school districts, they want plenty not to educate children but fatten administrators instead. In the case of government, they want plenty not to govern effectively but build Frankensteins such as San Jacinto Plaza Park and the Children's Hospital.

I have a nominee for the CAD Board. It is a 75-year-old widowed Abuelita from the Segundo Barrio who is struggling to pay the exorbitant property tax on her little home. That's who should be on the CAD Board.

Photo by klaq.com republished on the Tap Bar Facebook pageIn his El Paso Inc article, posted online today, Concerns arise about city staffing, David Crowder exposes what a few of us have known all along. Two of part-time City Manager Tommy G's lieutenants either don't live in El Paso or aren't employees of the City of El Paso. His Chief Performance Officer, Nancy Bartlett, doesn't even live here and apparently visits maybe twice a week. Bryan Crowe, the Executive Director of Destination El Paso, is employed by SMG, an entertainment and convention management firm which has a contract with El Paso. Gonzalez made him the Quality of Life Managing Director for the city.

Crowder also gives us the good news and the bad. The good news is that TG has cut expenditures. The bad news is that he has done this by cutting personnel, a tactic that he has used in his other short-lived stints as a City Manager in other Texas cities.

Consider what these two facts together mean. First we have a leadership team composed of one person who doesn't live here, shop here and pay taxes here; and another person - Crowe, the Quality of Life Managing Director - who has no personal accountability at all to City Council. Secondly, we have a CM who cuts personnel and streamlines government so that it becomes a daily victim to his micro-management.

I understand the arguments for a strong City Manager form of government. (I also understand the arguments for a strong Mayor form of government.) However, a strong City Manager is or should be accountable to the people of El Paso through their elected Mayor and City representatives. By making a non-El Paso citizen and a non-El Paso city employee part of his management team and by cutting needed personnel, Gonzalez has become not just a strong City Manager but a despot who has undermined staff morale in all city departments and opened the door to deals with a city representative with whom he does personal business.

The El Paso County Historical Commission informs us that the "first meeting place for the [City of El Paso] government was a saloon on S. El Paso St. at the site of the [present-day] Camino Real Hotel." The ultimate step for Tommy G's ruling elite is to cut expenses by foregoing all city personnel and meeting with a weak City Council at a saloon. Who needs City 1 or 2 or 3 or 4? I recommend the dive bar, Tap Bar and Restaurant. ("Restaurant" is stretching it of course.)

Earlier today I went to the Frontera Land Alliance Office to turn in some letters to the Executive Director, Janae' Reneaud Field. She told me that we have until January 20, 2016 to get the first 1,000 letters to President Obama asking him to designate Castner Range as a National Monument.

Martín Paredes' blog post yesterday provided information about the vetting of candidates for the new board of the Children's Hospital. I noted that my friend, Rick Bonart, had applied and had ended up on a list with eight other people whose names had all been crossed off. I asked Rick about this and he told me that he had submitted a resume but was never called or interviewed. Bonart told me: "What is upsetting is that no one called to even ask a single question let alone have formal interviews. When I worked at the PSB, I called every applicant when they applied for the position."

It seems that the powers to be have their favorites, the persons with whom they work in the good-old-boy/girl system. It also seems that they are just impolite. There wasn't even the courtesy of a "thanks for applying, but yada, yada, yada."

We often wonder why El Paso seems to stay in the same political ruts and vicious circles. It's because policy makers never consider that new faces on boards and commissions might just not make the same bad choices and decisions.

Normally I wouldn't write a story about a domestic dispute involving a city aide. It's private. However, the story about Jeremy Jordan's arrest and dismissal from his job at Cortney Niland's aide made the Times. See Update: Aide arrested after argument with wife.

The Times has not reported yet that the woman recanted her story on Monday morning to the DA. That did not matter to the city's Human Relations Department. Mr. Jordan was on contract and the contract was terminated at the behest of Rep. Cortney Niland. (Note to Jeremy: I know an excellent attorney who deals with this kind of injustice.)

Mr. Jordan was one of the few pockets of sanity in the City Council offices at City Hall. He certainly was the best aspect of Niland's office. Now she is left with interns and the city is left with her, an emotionally on edge grandstander who one pundit has described as a megalomaniac. Another keen city observer suggests that "this drama will cause all policy decisions and other legislative issues to die on the vine and the whole city will be paralyzed for months to come."

The loss of Jeremy Jordan adds to the chaos already caused by years of Council member squabbling, unethical behavior by Rep. Larry Romero and part-time City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez. Doing the business of the city not political posturing is what we elected this bunch to do.

Council did ask Larry Romero to resign from the city’s Financial Audit and Oversight Committee, which he chairs, as well as from his role as alternate mayor pro tempore and from his post on the Rio Grande Council of Governments. Council has also referred to the city ethics committee Romero's preparation of Tommy Gonzalez's tax return. But Council failed to take any further action on Tommy except to limit some of his responsibilities and to ask him to appoint a temporary City Manager to serve during his vacation. Why Council couldn't or wouldn't make that appointment themselves deepens the skepticism of their ability to lead the city government and to make policy.

The sooner all of these issues are resolved, the better. Romero should resign. Gonzalez should get his severance so he can become a full-time Lean Six-Sigma consultant. Niland should get some counseling. Good, smart people such as Jeremy Jordan should be welcommed back to City Hall in some capacity.

What is that definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? If that is the case, then, regarding awarding contracts, the PSB is insane. Just look at tomorrow's agenda. Items 16 and 12 should be switched around.

In Item 16 the PSB is being asked to "ratify an emergency contract with Jordan Foster Construction, LLC in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000, for the construction of the Gateway West Stormwater Pond." The emergency arose because CMD Endeavors couldn't finish the project. They had to bail out because - forgive me - they couldn't bail the water out from the stormwater pond. The project proved to be too "challenging" for this low bidder.

Now go to Item 12. It reads: "Consider and award Bid Number 65-15, Partello Street 30-Inch Water Transmission Main Phase II from Hayes Avenue to Pollard Street, to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder, CMD Endeavors, Incorporated in the amount of $792,820, and authorize the use of commercial paper."

Wait a moment! PSB is going to award a job to the company that couldn't complete another job just because they are the "lowest, responsible bidder"?

I do not know if this is true or not, but the word on the street is that CMD has a number of bonding claims against them. Whether these are claims against purchase or payment bonds or both I don't know. Either way, it means that they are probably in financial trouble. PSB could call its own bonding agent to get more information. One would think that they check on bond claims as necessary background on any bidder.

So, PSB goes to the lowest bidder, gets burned and still goes to the lowest bidder, CMD Endeavors. Insane. I'd feel better about rate hikes if the PSB would better manage their bids.

I have written about the El Paso Electric Company rate case extensively on elpasonaturally. The highlight of the public hearing last week was an extemporaneous speech by Rep. Peter Svarzbein. I am calling it the "Is It Fair" speech. It should go down in the annals of El Paso Council history as one of the greatest oratorical moments. You can hear Mr. Svarzbein at the beginning of the following video. Be sure to hear the Mayor's response.

The rest of the video contains public comments against EPEC's rate hike proposals. If you have time, they are worth hearing. In my post about that hearing, I wrote: "When do solar users, Western Refinery, El Paso Association of Builders, environmentalists, a Roman Catholic priest, the City of El Paso and home owners come together? When El Paso Electric proposes ridiculous rate hikes and a new classification for solar users. That's when."

Yesterday, City Council voted unanimously to reject those proposals. EPEC and the City have until next Tuesday to work out a settlement. I predict that they won't and that EPEC will take the matter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas for a litigated settlement. That has been their intent all along.

In an interview with ABC-7 Xtra Maria Garcia, Larry Romero insisted that people in District 2 are happy and the only complaints are coming from westsiders. Really, Larry?

A neighborhood leader of District 2's Grandview Park/Dyer Street area began telling people one month after Romero's election that he had made a mistake supporting him. Less than a year later he stopped by my house and told me the same thing.

Precinct chairmen/women in District 2 have been voicing the same complaint now for over two years.

People have been coming up to me at grocery stores and other places saying the same thing.

Adam Gurrola supported Larry in the run-off and recently filed a recall petition which he quickly withdrew after pressure was put on him.

As is now well known, I myself filed an ethics complaint which Ms. Garcia asked Larry about when she questioned him regarding the pavement of unapproved streets. He responded by saying that what I won't tell people is that my side street was paved. So? I don't remember asking for it, approving it, or having any say in it.

A petition is now beginning to circulate in District 2 calling for his resignation. It reads in both English and Spanish:

One last thing before moving on. It was curious in the same interview that Romero insisted that there was no conflict of interest regarding his having worked for Noe Hinojosa 10 or 15 years ago and his prodding the City to fire First Southwest and hire Estrada Hinojosa as the city's financial advisor. Later in the interview he said that, had there been a vote about the city financial advisor, he would have recused himself. Sounds like a conflict of interest to me.

Finally, prior to Ms. Garcia's interview with Romero, a short interview with part-time City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez, recorded the night before was shown. Gonzalez said that he found the ethics complaint against him offensive since he was raised by good parents and that he was an officer in the military. So everyone raised by good parents has never done anything unethical and/or immoral and is above reproach? Also there has never been a U.S. military officer who has done anything wrong and is above reproach? Indignation as a defense always raises a red flag with me. Want a big red flag? When Gonzalez was being interviewed for City Manager, the committee making the recommendations could not contact his former employers because he had non-disclosure agreements with all of them. They paid him off, told him that they wouldn't ever talk and sent him on his way. And, of course, he walked away above reproach, and into the arms of the City of El Paso.

Just after eleven this morning I filed an ethics complaint against both City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez, and City Representative (District 2), Larry Romero.

Below is a copy of the complaint with attachment. (The copy lacks my signature and the notary's stamp since I had the form notarized upon filing in the Municipal Clerk's office.)Ethics Complaint against Gonzalez and Romero

Numerous people have called for a recall petition. A recall is just not practical now. After notifying the Municipal Clerk, the petitioner has 60 days to collect signatures. (About 2,000 for a Romero recall.) Then, the petition is returned to the Clerk who must certify the validity of each signature. This takes time. Then an election date must be set and that can take weeks. We are looking at a recall election in late spring and, by charter, a City Council member may not be recalled in their last year of office.

A petition calling for Romero's resignation makes more sense.

Since I ran against Romero and was narrowly defeated in the run-off, some may see my filing as a case of sour grapes. I cannot control what someone may think. I can, however, make some effort to see that our City government is more honest, transparent and ethical. Filing today gave me no pleasure. It is sad and serious business.

You know that, in football, some calls on the field can be challenged and a referee will review the instant replays to see if the call stands or is reversed. Here was my call on the field this past week in the $22 Million Bond Fiasco Bowl:

"Fingers have also pointed at Tommy Gonzalez and City CFO, Mark Sutter. If anything they should be thanked for stopping the firing of First Southwest and being upfront about almost making such a mistake. No Tommygate or Suttergate here as well."

After reviewing the play on the field, I am reversing that call. Gonzalez and Sutter didn't save the day by deciding that it would be a mistake to fire First Southwest. Oh no. It was City Attorney, Sylvia Firth, who intercepted Larry Romero's pass to key receiver Tommy Gonzalez.

Had Firth not raised some issues, Gonzalez and Sutter would have succeeded in firing First Southwest and selecting Romero's buds at Estrada Hinojosa. Ties between Noe Hinojosa and Gonzalez and Romero were reported by the El Paso Times:

"The El Paso Times last week discovered an audio recording in which Noe Hinojosa, the president and chief executive officer of Estrada Hinojosa, told the Canutillo school board that he and Romero were former business associates. Hinojosa revealed his relationship with Romero — and also boasted of his ties to Gonzalez — during an ultimately successful bid presentation to the Canutillo school board in October 2014."

Once the light of day fell upon the Romero-Gonzalez cabal, Gonzalez and Sutter took cover and said that they had almost made a terrible mistake and decided to keep First Southwest as the city's financial advisers after all.

So, we have two "-gates". First, Joycegate because former City Manager Joyce Wilson held up the bond sales counter to the repeated advice of First Southwest to sell. That hold-up cost us $22 Million.

But we also have Romero-Gonzalezgate. In an attempt to hire cronies Estrada Hinojosa, First Southwest was almost fired.

I'm sure that you have been following the story about the delayed issuing of bonds for the ballpark that cost us $22 Million. There are at least two scandals involved.

No. Steve Ortega wasn't behind it. He's not that kind of guy. Nor is former Mayor John Cook or former City Rep Ann Lilly. Joyce Wilson claims that she spoke to both and Ann made her do it. (First Wilson throws Jane Shang under the bus and now Lilly.) Ann admits that she had no expertise in the field and, besides, she just isn't that kind of person either. Truth be told, Joyce has already told others that she delayed the issuance of the bonds. Not Steve, not Ann, not John - Joyce Wilson. This is Joycegate clear and simple.

Fingers have also pointed at Tommy Gonzalez and City CFO, Mark Sutter. If anything they should be thanked for stopping the firing of First Southwest and being upfront about almost making such a mistake. No Tommygate or Suttergate here as well.

Yet, when Mark Sutter was explaining all of this to City Council, Niland threw one of her tantrums blaming Sutter and First Southwest. El Diario reported (roughly translated):

According to Niland, this bond issue was done with bad financial advice; "when you have financial advisors and make recommendations to issue a bond, the parameters are laid out. They knew the market had changed but did not tell us. This is bad, very bad."Niland argued that the advisors hide information. ". . . they assured the community that something would be financially possible…because they did not respond to us, I am going to say something. What was missing was an advisor who said “'just a moment, the variables are bad, you need to redefine these variables right now.'”Mark Sutter, in his role as head of the Financial Office of the City, contradicted Nilland: “the contract says that the advisors report their arrangement to the city, the next time it can be arranged. . ." He tried to report to the full council."However", Niland exploded, "if you all think for a second that I am going to keep quiet without telling the truth about from the outset for an error of $22 million that is not mine, you are wrong."

Sutter had done the right thing. The record shows that First Southwest begged Joyce to sell and Joyce held up the sale. So why was Cortney ranting other than the fact that she has a habit of grandstanding and impulsive emotional outbursts?

Some say that she was trying to protect Ortega. Yet, she never really was a supporter (or, at least, a tepid one) of Ortega's. In fact, two of Ortega's top supporters called her out about her lack of support. So, why the rant? Word is that Joyce Wilson has one friend left in town - Cortney Niland. This, of course, tells us something about Cortney's bent for the Machiavellian. It also means that Niland was protecting her bud, Joyce Wilson.

Of course there is one more scandal besides Joycegate and that is Romero's unethical use of his office to attempt to get First Southwest fired and replaced by his buds over at Estrada Hinojosa. That scandal too is unfolding and, as I have written, it along with a whole list of other things cries for Romero's resignation.

Bottom line with the late bond issuance: blame Joyce and nobody else. It's Joycegate. My advice to her is to quit Workforce Solutions and pack her bags. I hear there is a good City Manager position in Resume Speed, Texas.

When you and I both were candidates for District 2 City Council Representative, you boasted that, in a crowded field of candidates, you were "head over heels" better than any of the rest of us. We all now know that is true. You are head over heels the best when it comes to cronyism and corruption. Let's just cite the record:

As a financial services professional, you first spoke out as a Council member in favor of payday predators.

You paved streets (and an alley) not on the approved list and one street was your own and the alley benefited restraunteurs who supported you - one of those establishments being your usual haunt. Two blocks from there is an alley that services many more businesses which had never been paved. You paid no attention to that. You ignored and continue to ignore many places in your district with broken sidewalks, real dangers to our senior citizens.

You unilaterally removed a traffic circle. Result: a serious accident.

You favored your Cathedral High cronies with illegal speed humps when any number of those Cathedral alums could have paid for flashing warning signals. Soon, someone will have to pay for those signals since those humps will have to go when the trolley line gets installed going up Stanton.

You tried to appoint to the City Plan Commission Carlos Aguilar, a crony of and an unindicted person in the whole Anthony Cobos bribery scandal.

Your brother was hired by City Manager Tommy Gonzalez at the same time that you were forcefully pushing for a ridiculous $60,000 raise for our part-time City Manager.

You had the job and the community service of a young man threatened so that he would withdraw his recall of you. You know, I know, and many more people know that this is true.

You must know that support for you has seriously eroded. Word on the street is that even your business supporters can no longer support you especially since the Carlos Aguilar fiasco.

I cannot begin to tell you how many people have come to me almost immediately after your election and said that they made a mistake voting for you.

We have so many fine city workers who serve El Pasoans with honesty and dignity. El Pasoans are hardworking and friendly. Larry, El Paso has had enough of your kind of politician who isn't there 24/7 for the people but who is there for himself and his cronies and spends most of his time at his private business. You were elected to be 24/7 for us. This is our District and our City and not yours. El Paso has had enough of back room good-ol-boyism.

You have been disdainful of and unresponsive to those who do not agree with you or who did not support you. Everyone deserves to be heard. The poorest person in El Paso must be treated with the same respect, dignity and degree as the richest. The poorest person must have the same voice in city government as the richest. No one should have more political influence than another.

Our El Paso business people need support as do our over-burdened property tax payers. People need good jobs, food, a clean environment and a beautiful mountain unmarred by companies such as Cemex whose public relations is handled by your buddy, Carlos Aguilar.

Although I seriously doubt that you have the moral compass to do it, the right thing for you to do now is to resign.

Resign because you have let down your constituents in District 2.

Resign because you have fed a cancerous corruption in city hall.

Resign becuase the people of El Paso should not have to bear the costs of a recall election and then a follow-up election.

Do the right thing, Larry. Do the right thing. Resign effective immediately.

Your constituent in District 2,

Jim Tolbert

P.S. The monied people who put you in office and pull your strings have probably already told you that you can't run again and they are already looking for someone to replace you. To them I say this: your time is over as well. El Paso is and shall be for all El Pasoans.

Back in early May, according to an ABC-7 (KVIA) story by Andrew Polk, Rep. Cortney Niland said this about the then 6-month late San Jacinto Park project:

"'Unfortunately, at this particular time, it's not quite ready,' said Cortney Niland, city representative for District 8, which includes downtown. "'And instead of rushing the process, and delivering a product that is not up to the standards of which we negotiated with the contractor, we are making sure that the investment that this community is making in this park is exactly what they're expecting.'"

On October 6th when it was "discovered" that new welds had to be made on the canopy, Niland said that Council should have known about this problem weeks earlier in spite of the fact that she was reported by the El Paso Times to have said that " [o]n a weekly basis I ask for updates . . . "

This morning the Times reported that the completion of the park project will cost El Pasoans even more money and time in order to have the SWA Group monitor the project. They also reported that City Rep. Cortney Niland "has been openly frustrated with the project delays" but called the delay a "formality."

Frustration is not what we heard back in May or even earlier when the first signs of problems appeared. Certainly calling an extension a "formality" does not show frustration. San Jacinto Park in downtown El Paso is part of Niland's district. Throughout the entire fiasco, she seems never to have done her homework but she can act indignant, even frustrated.